A staff member with a passion for photographing abandoned and forsaken buildings will be featured this year in the Main Street Arts Festival.

Guy Housewright, administrative assistant in University Advancement, has been taking photos for 20 years, but this will be the first time his work would be seen by a large general public, he said.

“Putting myself on display for the first time is nerve-wracking and really overwhelming. The Main Street Arts Festival will be a defining moment for my future in photography,” Housewright said.

Housewright will be featured in the festival under the emerging artist category, which the festival policies described as an artist who has no experience exhibiting and selling their artwork.

He said he never intended on applying or even imagined being selected, but one day before the deadline, he got the courage and submitted an application to the festival, which is recognized nationally as the No. 3 best festival ranked by Art Fair SourceBook.

Luther Smith, a professor of art, was a member of the festival jury twice. The jurors were chosen to review and score the works submitted, but only the top scorers from each category were invited to the show, he said.

“An invitation to the show is no small task. Jury members have high standards and knowledge in street art,” Smith said.

Housewright said he had never intentionally set a goal to enter the art festival circuit. How his work is received at the festival this weekend would determine if he will continue applying to art festivals or keep his work more private. Either way, he will continue his love for photography, he said. 

He expected his work would turn a few people away because of the haunting, dark nature of his photos, he said. His photos feature abandoned state mental institutions where unimaginable suffering took place, he said.  

“I want people to lend themselves to their imagination, imagine what it would be like to be held against their own free will and weave their own interpretation of the photos,” Housewright said. 

Housewright does not only photograph the empty and rundown. He also was commissioned to do work for TCU.

Most recently, his photo of the Campus Commons was featured on the poster for this year’s Honors Convocation.

“It’s a great photo, and we do have a beautiful campus,” Honors College coordinator Lauren Nixon said. “He has an undeniable talent for finding and emphasizing beauty around us,” 

Housewright said photography largely defines who he is. Whether it is taking photos of deserted mental hospitals or capturing the spirit of TCU, Housewright said, his photos literally reflect how he seesthe world.

Main Street Arts Festival

Where: Downtown Fort Worth

When: April 19-22

Cost: Free

For additional information, click here.

For additional information about Guy Housewright, click here.